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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Campari Group Expands Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, Operations

04/04/2023
Spirits producer Campari Group plans to add a second distillery at its Wild Turkey campus in Lawrenceburg. Kentucky. The $131 project is expected to create 31 jobs in Anderson County.

The new facility will be designed to produce 5 million additional proof gallons of bourbon annually. The investment also includes an expansion to the waste treatment dry house process to increase processing capacity, doubling the current dry house and waste treatment output. In addition Campari Group will upgrade the current barrel filling operation to handle the increased volumes. Operations are scheduled for July 2025.

“We are delighted to announce this important investment and we appreciate the support received by the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development and the local authorities,” said Ugo Fiorenzo, managing director of Campari America and Canada. “Since 2009, when Campari Group acquired the Wild Turkey Distillery, we have significantly invested in the bourbon category, which now represents Campari Group’s second major leg after the aperitif portfolio. This expansion project confirms, once again, our commitment to this category and it will allow for the continued growth of the Wild Turkey and Russell’s Reserve franchise, both in the United States and internationally.”

To encourage investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) preliminarily approved a 10-year incentive agreement with the company under the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based agreement can provide up to $950,000 in tax incentives based on the company’s investment of $161 million and annual targets of: creation and maintenance of 31 Kentucky-resident, full-time jobs across 10 years; and paying an average hourly wage of $32.57 including benefits across those jobs.

Additionally, KEDFA approved Campari for up to $250,000 in tax incentives through the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act (KEIA). KEIA allows approved companies to recoup Kentucky sales and use tax on construction costs, building fixtures, equipment used in research and development and electronic processing.

“This investment by Campari Group adds to the historic momentum the commonwealth is currently experiencing in our signature bourbon and spirits industry,” noted Governor Andy Beshear. “Kentucky is coming off our best year for growth in the spirits industry, with over $2.1 billion in new investments and approximately 700 new jobs for Kentuckians. I want to thank Campari for expanding its Wild Turkey campus in the commonwealth and continuing to invest in Anderson County and the Lawrenceburg community.”

By meeting its annual targets over the agreement term, the company can be eligible to keep a portion of the new tax revenue it generates. The company may claim eligible incentives against its income tax liability and/or wage assessments. In addition, Campari can receive resources from Kentucky’s workforce service providers. Those include no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job-training incentives.

“We are excited to support the growth and expansion efforts of Wild Turkey right here in Anderson County,” added Chair of Anderson County Forward Amanda Schoonover. “As one of our longest distillery staples in our community, we look forward to the new employment opportunities, the positive economic impact to this community and supporting them in any way we can.”

Founded in 1860, Campari Group is headquartered in Sesto San Giovanni, Italy, and owns 23 plants worldwide with its own distribution network in 23 countries. Campari America LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Davide Campari-Milano N.V.

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